Overcoming bottlenecks in zero information gain (ZIG) rebuild operations

Abstract

A storage unit (SU) includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and processing circuitry operably coupled to the interface and to the memory. The SU determines to rebuild an encoded data slice (EDS) of a set of EDSs based on a storage error of the EDS and selects combining units to enable rebuilding of the EDS. The SU also selects participating storage units (SUs) that store at least the decode threshold number of EDSs and facilitates establishing pairwise encryption keys between appropriate components. The SU facilitates the combining units and the SU receiving encrypted representations of the decode threshold number of EDSs of the set of EDSs. The SU combines an encrypted combined partial slice and any additional encrypted representation to generate an encrypted rebuilt EDS and decrypts the encrypted rebuilt EDS to generate a rebuilt EDS.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS[0001]The present U.S. Utility Patent Application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120, as a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 15 / 837,455, entitled “TEMPORARILY STORING DROPPED AND REBUILT SLICES IN A DSN MEMORY,” filed Dec. 11, 2017, pending, which claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120, as a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 15 / 642,875, entitled “PRIORITIZED DATA REBUILDING IN A DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORK,” filed Jul. 6, 2017, pending, which claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 120, as a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 14 / 869,240, entitled “COORDINATING STORAGE OF DATA IN DISPERSED STORAGE NETWORKS,” filed Sep. 29, 2015, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,727,275 on Aug. 8, 2017, which claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 086,542, entitled “CONSISTENT STORAGE OF DATA IN A DISPERSED S...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is related to a system for storing and accessing data in a distributed storage network (DSN). The technical effects of the invention include improved performance and reliability of the DSN by addressing data storage errors and bottlenecks in prior art data storage systems. The invention provides a solution for effectively handling errors in the DSN and optimizing overall system performance. The invention also includes methods for dispersing error encoded data and error decoding in the DSN. These technical effects can be beneficial for a wide range of applications, such as cloud computing and data centers.

Problems solved by technology

Data storage errors may occur for a variety of reasons in prior art data storage systems.

Communications within prior art data storage systems can become bottlenecked and be adversely affected for a variety of reasons.

The prior art does not provide adequate solutions by which such bottlenecks and / or other choke points in prior art data storage systems can be adequately handled to provide for improved overall system performance.

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